MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- When former Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk joined the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League Calder Cup playoffs, there was a good chance it would be a one-and-done visit.
Cleveland trailed the Hershey Bears three-games-to-none in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final series, and had just absorbed a 6-2 loss in Game 3 against the defending champion Bears.
But Mateychuk was heading into Cleveland with as big a winning pedigree as there can be, with his Warriors having just celebrated their WHL championship a few days earlier -- and wouldn’t you know it, his winning ways have continued.
With the Columbus Blue Jackets first-rounder in the line-up, the Monsters battled to a 3-2 win in Game 4 to keep their season alive, took a 5-1 win in Game 5 and then won 3-2 in overtime on Monday in Game 6 to force a deciding Game 7 on Wednesday night.
Mateychuk hasn’t just been along for the ride, either.
The 19-year-old picked up his first AHL point in Game 5 when he assisted on Josh Dunne’s go-ahead goal midway through the second period.
He then put together another piece of overtime magic in Game 6, when he sent a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Jake Christiansen, whose harmless-looking shot on net found it’s way through traffic and in.
Here’s how that looked, with Mateychuk wearing number three.
CHRISTY CALLED GAME! CLEVELAND NEVER QUITS!#FearTheDepths pic.twitter.com/kVOvzUZph9
— y - Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) June 11, 2024
Mateychuk played on the second defensive pairing with Marcus Bjork in Games 4 and 5 before slotting in alongside Christiansen for Game 6.
Mateychuk’s success has come at the expense of another Warriors product in Hershey captain Dylan McIlrath. A defensive standout with Moose Jaw from 2008-12, McIlrath was held without a shot and went minus-two in Game 5 while playing on the top defensive pairing and had two shots while going minus-two in Game 6.
The winner of Wednesday night’s contest will advance to face the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the Calder Cup Final beginning this weekend.
